Electrical control for water distributors



Jan. 1951 L. o. KEEFER 2,538,315

ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR WATER DISTRIBUTORS Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

Army/'0 0 K92 fer Jan. 16, 1951 o. KEEFER ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR WATER DISTRIBUTORS Filed March 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0,. K a w m 6 Z H M m r H Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR WATER DISTRIBUTORS Leonard O. Keef r, Spokane, Wash.

Application March'25, 1946, Serial No. 656,800

This invention relates to an electrically operated sprinkler valve system and it isone object of the invention to provide a valve system so controlled that the length of time a valve will be open for discharge of water may be accurately controlled and also a valvealso opened and closed at a predetermined time of day or night.

Another object of the invention :is to provide a sprinkler valve system wherein the vpowerunit consists of clock works adapted to .be so set that after the clock works have been set'in operation opening and closing of valves will be automatic and in predetermined timed relation to each other. 7 I

Another object of the invention .is to :provide a sprinkler valve system wherein the circuit. for a motor includes switches adapted to be simulataneously moved and one opened while the other is closed, there being also provided aswitch pperated. by relay in series with the alternately openingand closing switches:

Another object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler valve system which is :efiicient in :operation and not liable to get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in. ther'accompany ing drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device.-

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken vertically through the devicealong the line 2-2 ot Figure 4.

. Fig. 3 is .a wiring diagram.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View showing .mechanism in the casing in side elevation. 1

Fig. 5 is a .fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

This improved time controlled device is particularly adapted for use in connection with a, sprinkler 'systemrof the type shown :in my co pending application filed -March 1, 1946, Ser. No. opened and closed by mechanism driven by an electric motor from which rotary motion is intermittently transmitted to a shaft carrying'cams for effecting opening and closing of the valves, the motor having a circuit in which are disposed mercury switches mounted at ends of a rocker bar pivoted midway its length and tilted to alternately open and close the mercury switches. Such a motor is shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings and indicated by the numeral l,

651,251, wherein valves are successively.

2 Claims. (CL 200-38) and in this figure there has also been shown mercury. switches 2 and 3 corresponding to the switches mentioned above and mounted at oppo- .site ends of a rocker bar 4 pivotally' mounted midway its length as shown .at .5. In the present showing the switch 2 is closed and switch 3 is open. Power for the motor is delivered through wires 1; and 1, thewire 7 extending directly to the motor and wire 6 being connected with a switch armor blade 8 which is .normally in its opened position and moved to a closed position by a relay 9. A wire 6 constituting an extension of wire 6 extends from the switch 8 to the motor, and the wires 6 and l are connected with a terminal socket I0 with which a power cable is connected, as

shown in Figure 2. A plate II is mounted in a wall of a casing l2, and this plate carries the socket Ill and also carries a master switch i3 inter- .posed in the wire 6 and by means of which the the wire "I.

An electrically operated clock i9 is set into an opening formed in a wall of the casing; as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and this clock is connected with the power wires 6 and I by wires 29 and 2| so that it will operate when the switch [3 is closed and there has also been provided a pilot light 22 which is connected with the wires 5 and i by wires 23 and so mounted in the casing that it will show through the window 24 mounted in the wall of the casing and allow an attendant to readily determine whether the apparatus is in working order. The'clock is of conventional construction and has a shaft 24 which projects from its inner or rear wall. There has also been provided an adjusting shaft 25 which projects from the clock and carries a sprocket wheel 26 about which is trained a sprocket chain 21. The chain extends upwardly and is trained about a sprocket wheel 28 carried by a shaft 29 which is rotatably mounted and projects-from the casing above the clock and at its outer end carries a knob '31} by means of which it may be turned to adjust the clock. A shaft 3| is rotatably mounted through panels 32 and 33 located within the casing l2 and this shaft is connected with the shaft 24 of the clock by a shaft 34. Upon the shaft 3| is fixed a small gear 35 meshing with a large gear 36 carried by a shaft 31, the ratio between gears 35 and 36 being such that a shaft 3| rotates eight times to complete one rotation of shaft 31. It will thus be seen that shaft 3| rotates once in twelve hours whereas shaft 31 makes one complete rotation every ninety-six hours. A disk 38 is fixed upon shaft 3| and a disk 39 is fixed upon shaft 31. Adjacent its periphery the disk 38 is formed in its opposite side faces with threaded sockets to receive pegs or pins 4|! and 4|. for engaging the switches 42 and 43 to which the wires l4 and I are attached and holding them closed as long as the pins are in engagement with the switches. The pins 46 are in staggered relation to the pins 4| and the pins of the sets are so spaced from each other circumferentially of the disk 38 that during rotation of the disk the switch 42 will be engaged by a pin 46 every twenty minutes and the pins 4| will engage the switch 43 every twenty minutes. One of the switches will be closed every ten minutes but the switches 42 and 43 will be alternately closed instead of at the same time. By tilting the bar 4 the switches 2 and 3 may be one closed and the other opened and flow of current through the wires I4 and I5 controlled independent of opening and closing of the switches 42 and 43.

The disk 39 carries arcuate strips 44 and 45 which extend circumferentially of the disk and project from opposite side faces thereof, there being two strips 44 and four strips 45. Upon referring to Figures 4 and 5 it will be seen that the strips 44 are diametrically opposite each other and that strips 45 are spaced from each other equal distances about the disk. These strips are provided to engage the long arms of switches 46 and 41 and close the same, the switch 46 being closed twice for each rotation of disk '39 and the switch 41 being closed four times for each rotation of the disk. Another strip 48 is secured upon the marginal edge face of the disk for engaging the long arm of a switch 49 and closing it once for each rotation of the disk. The strips are of such length relative to the circumference of the disk 39 that during a rotation of the disk once in ninety-six hours the strips 44 will close switch 46 once each forty-eight hours and hold it closed for twelve hours each time it is closed, the contacts 45 will engage the switch 41 once each twentyfour hours and hold it closed twelve hours each time, and the strip 48 will engage the switch 49 each ninety-six hours and hold it closed for twelve hours each time. It will thus be seen that each contact holds the companion switch closed for 12 hours but that the time interval between the closing of the switches will vary in accordance with the relation of the switches to the length of the circumference of the disk 39.

It is desired to have the relay 9 energized when selected ones of switches are closed during rotation of the disks 38 and 39 and in order to do so there has been provided a selector switch 50 including a block of insulation 50 carrying terminals 5| and 52 from which extend wires 53 and 54 and other terminals 55, 56 and 51 from which extend wires 58, 59 and 66. The wire 53 and its branches are connected with contacts of the switches 42, 43, 46, 41 and 49 and the wires 58, 59 and 69 and connected with the other contacts of the switches 46, 41, and 49, the wire 54 being cut into the Wire I 6 between the relay 9 and the mercury switches 2 and 3. The terminal 6| is connected with the power wire 6 and by turning the switch arm 62 the terminal 6| may be selectively connected with the terminal 5|, 52, 55, 56, or 51 and a selected one of the switches 42, 43, 46, 41, or 49 will be rendered operative and close a circuit when the master switch I3 is closed. It will thus be seen that while the motor will run for twelve hours when a switch is closed the time intervals between running of the motor may be controlled. The switches 46, 41 and 49 are carried by a lever 63 pivoted upon the shaft 31 and projecting through a slot 64 formed in the top of the casing l2, and referring to Figure 5 it will be seen that by manually moving the lever from the position shown in full lines to that indicated by dotted lines the switches may be shifted a distance corresponding to the distance between ends of the contacts 45 and as this distance represents twelve hours of time the lever may be manually moved from a position in which all of the switches will each be closed during day time to a position for closing the switches at night, and day or night sprinkling may be selectively accomplished. The terminal or blank point 65 is provided upon the block of switch 50 so that by adjusting this switch the pilot light and the clock can operate continuously when the switch I3 is closed. When the switch arm is engaged with terminal 52 which is connected with the wire I6 the relay will be held closed and the motor allowed to run continuously for demonstration purposes,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a time controlled switch mechanism, a ro-- of the disk and another switch having its movable contact resting upon the peripheral edge face of the disk, and strips mounted against the side faces and the edge face of the disk and extending circumferentially of the disk for engagement with the movable contacts of the switches to individually close the companion switches and hold the said switches closed for a predetermined length of time during rotation of the disk, the strip on the edge face of the disk being longer than the strips at the sides of the disk and the strips at the sides of the disk being spaced from each other circumferentially of the disk, said lever being tiltable about the shaft for movement circumferentially of the disk and thus control the time of .day or night at which the strips move into engagement with the movable contacts to close the switches.

2. In a time controlled switch mechanism, a rotatably mounted shaft, a disk carried by said shaft and turning therewith, a lever carried by said shaft and tiltable about the shaft circumferentially of the disk, strips mounted against opposite side faces and upon the peripheral edge face of said disk, said strips extending circumferentially of the disk, there being a single strip upon the edge face of the disk and a plurality ofstrips upon its side faces spaced from each other cir- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hamilton Mar. 14, 1916 Kennedy June 21, 1927 Munz Ju1y 26, 1932 Reynolds May 11; 1943 

